Acetylene generator



Aug. 3 1926.

P. L. GEER ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed August 12, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Pw/ L. fieer ,BY I 5 P. L. GEER ACETYLENE GENERATOR Aug. 3 1926.

Filed August 12,

1922 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Pau/ L. Gear BY 7% 5- M ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 11v VEN T0 R. Pau/ L. Gear ATTORNEY Aug. 3 1926.

I P. L. GEER ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed August 12, 1922 Patented Aug. 3, 1926,

STAT

1 mm GEEK 6F OAKIDAN'D, CALIFORNIA:

AGETYLENE GENERATOR.

Ap'in ieation "mad August 12, 1922. Serial No. 581,427.

This invention relates to acetylene {generaa'dep 1 for a'tt-asehhieht to existing as ell as fut'ufe' genefatorsg itoii' Chit ins feeding deyice therebf'.

Amengthe object's my ihv'e'n'tien are to produce selective-pressure generater, which; having bee given its initial start ni'iiu'ahfy, de eie'p's t .e pressureseected ahd. is thereafter atitoih-atie until the charge of carbide has been consumed. Further, to pied'ii'ce a enerate-r Whose ir'ndtive power for the carbide feed, isfdei'ived from the pressure of the geserated gas as it is genei'ated and" drawn as 01'' Used. Further, to prod ii'ee a generator that't'v'iil fii'rnisl'i gas at a substantiall censtantipress ef, an aecw lately coritrolled Caihid'e teeth and thereby dispense with the fiecessityof pres'smfe regu letting-waives as are new re'qi ifed i'n' present gene-mere; Other objects t my invention wih ap'fiear hilhaftel as the deseri'ptlohot it rogresses. r

'lh'fiirtheifahce 'Of the abeve and other 0hj-ectel construct'a generator havin a Withih a case; mitt-Which latte!" cbhiihutiie1 tefs and eo'iii'i'etrts with said chamber. The

motor valve) is meehanicslly connected with the s'gtidrhdter, anti provided with means for quick opening" Wheh the motor diaphragm apprbaehes its upper limit 'of'ti'av'etg and for quick iesi'n-g; When the diaph'isgm ap preaches its lower limit 0i r'est' positio'ii. The ether fv'alve deter'ihihes' the enerator pressure and is hereinafter termed the equal "izing governor Valve, the opening and clos iiig'of'tj' hich'is centfelled by an indfifident diaphra m afidspri'rigi I Thet'eitsien of'said spri'iig' is variable; and at the will of the" opei-atet; W116; the aid (if a reference Chart attached tht'iib, ma -select any the carbide sii'ed pressure erat-or. a

In addition to the above bfbad'et feathie's of the ihvention", there are certain rftetails of design, whereby compactness, simplicity and durability (if st f'l'l'ctu'rmas Well posi-j tiveness and ease of opeiatieii are obtained; and which are shown in the dt'aitihgs, and the essentials thereof will-he set ibr'th here- Withih the range of the gen inafter. 6'5

In the accompanying three sheets ofthfatt ings, I have illustrated an apparatus fer 2u-- ry'iiigi my iiit ehtion iiite effect, and in which F i'gth'e l'i-s 'a p'fartial'seetiehalelevation of 7'0 iew,"vvith the 00t f the meter ca s'efg' ierho ed a'i'id shows sch-ye afts jnte 'e'ifto the e eihtoia' Figi e3 is a side eiet atioh of Fight-e52," displ ng'th mam heahs its starting" asge'nemtipn, smiths esteriar oi the equal gov'me'e cdiitrdi means: Fi-g ire 4' is a. CTO S S S Ct iOIi on 111%; B 13 Fiigt fe 2, shevvifigthe eqnsuzm; greet: n'oi valve'in' detail. 7 Figure 5 is a fragmelitaf y elevatiii right-angles t6 Figiite'S and. shows the carhide 1hetei"cha1s; ahd'the selective-pressure' ehz u t.

Figure 8 a section Ql'i liiie DeD; f 7 ztnfl shows the (it'eichalahci sl' ii'ng "whitest-gives to give the decisive p'esit-i-Ve action'to th'ehiotf valve: a

Figure 9 is a; sectio online of Figure 1;. shows the lhotdifialv 0-1;; F ingtqtl e sewiee manifold. l

R-ef'effiiig to' the dfaWih' 'sf Aj c1 chamber 1, the gas generating chaihhe adaptecmb'co itaifi'a bi)" Y (if tiatei g itnl is preil'idd" with the" Well knew am-finingvalve; sledge cock; zfigitatbfrg em; not shbith.

A cover 3 closes and forms gas-tight joint with the chamber 1. This cover is provided with a carbide hopper 4, which is filled through a handhole 5. The carbide is indicated at 6, and drops from the hopper onto a table 7 under the same. Above the table and surrounding the mouth of the hopper, is a floating ring 8 suspended from the hopper as by chains 9. The table 7 is rotated by a shaft 18 secured thereto. By the rotation of the table and the friction of the carbide resting upon it, the ring 8 is oscillated and caused to rise sufliciently from the table to allow pieces of carbide to creep under its edge and fall into the water 2, thereby generating acetylene gas in accordance with well known principles which require no elucidation here; The gas rises and passes through the openings 10 into the motor case 11, which latter has a gas-tight connection at its base with the chamber cover 3.

In the motor case 11, the generated gas exerts pressure on the under ide of the diaphragm 12, and raises it to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure '1. This r sing of the diaphragm through an attached rod 13, causes an arm 14 made integral witha rocker shaft 14 to turn, transmitting the same angular movement to an arm 14 also integral with the rocker shaft.

connected to the arm 14, and put in tension by the upward movement of the diaphragm 12, serves to return the diaphragm to its rest position when the pressure on its two sides are in balance.

Attached to the rocker shaft 14; is a forked yoke 20, whose free ends may be armed with antifriction rollers,-as seen in Figure 1. These free ends give oscillation to the pivoted U-shaped swingingarm 21, shown clearly in Figures 6 and 7, which, by means of suitable tappets, reciprocates a rod 22 and actuates a motor valve 28 shown to advantage in Figure 1. The motor valve 23 admits gas from the motor case 11 to a manifold 2 1, whence it passes to the inclosed chamber 25 above the diaphragm and also to the service chamber 26. The motor valve 23 consists of a stationary triangular nozzle (Figure 9) and a sliding valve having spaces end with a short crank 27, and a coil spring 28. The purpose of this spring is to act as an overbalancer for the said arm 21 when it passes its center of angular movement going in either direction, thereby giving positive action to the motor valve 23.

The motor mechanism is contained and supported within an anchored casing 21 filled with oil and having suitable stuffingbox outlets.

The admission of gas from the motor case 11 to the manifold 24.- equalizes the pressure on both sides of th ediaphragm 12, and allows the spring 19 to return the'diaphragm to its rest position as shown in Figure 1,

thereby closing the motor valve 23. As the gas is being consumed in service, a slight drop in pressure in the chamber 25 and service chamber 26, causes another upward movement of the motor diaphragm with its subsequentreturn to rest position and so on,

maintaining the selected pressure determined by the governor. The service chamber 26 through the valve 29 and its assembly which we have termed the equalizing governor valve has gas connection with the motor case 11 at 40. The opening of this valve is determined by the pressure on the smaller diaphragm 31 and by the governor-spring 32. The setting of the tension of this spring is accomplished by manually turning the hand wheel 33, which, in turn, determines the pressure at which the generator will operate. A pointer 34 moving over a calibrated scale 35 indicates when the spring is properly tensed for thepressure selected. The major volume of the gas supply to the service chamber 26, is fed thereto through the governor equalizing valve at the selected pressure. As but a small amount of carbide generates a large volume of gas, the selected pressure is easily maintained; therefore, the motor is but occasionally in operation, and it only functions when the gas from the previously dropped carbide has been drawn off sufficiently for the remaining gas in the generating chamber to drop in pressure below that selected.

As little as a tenth of a pound drop below that of the selected pressure, will close the governor valve, and will cause an upward movement of, the diaphragm 12, with its subsequent opening of the motor valve 23 and movement of the carbide table 7, which latter feeds an additional charge of carbide to the water 2, the motor immediately coming to the rest position and remaining inoperative until the gas has been drawn off to the differential pressure point just mentioned. 4

The equalizing governor valve diaphragm 31 has a considerable area, compared to that of the valve seat 30. Therefore, in order that the full reactive pressure of the governor spring 32 shall not injuriously bear on the valve seat 30, I provide the valve stem 36 with an auxiliary light counterspring 37, housed within a cage 38 secured to the valve body 40. At the top of the cage is a guide boss 39, forming a shouldered stop and floating connection with the diaphragm assembly. Thesaid shouldered stop is for the purpose of preventing the entire governor counter pressure bearing on the small valve seat 30. that the valve 29 bears comparatively light on the seat 30 be ause of said shouldered stop and the use of the counter-spring 37 and the floating connection 39.

For the purpose of starting or initiating a pressure in the generator, suflicient for it to be self operating, I provide a crank 41 on an arbor 42, to which is connected a short arm having an antifriction roller 44 on its end, and adapted to register with and contact an arm 45 made integral with the rocker shaft 14. By manual oscillation of the crank 41 is caused a similar oscillation of the rocker shaft and its arms and connected parts, thus feeding the carbide into the water. After the crank has been oscillated a few times, the apparatus will function automatically, as hereinbefore set forth.

Geared to the oscillating member 16 which is an ordinary speedometer mechanism, is a flexible shaft 46 adapted to be rotated thereby. The shaft is connected to a dial 4'? having a graduated scale to show the approximate consumption of carbide, as the amount of carbide fed at each revolution of the table 7 is quite uniform. Thus, by glance at the dial, the operator may inform himself of the amount of carbide remaining in the hopper.

Having thus illustrated and described my i vention in its preferred. form for the present, I wish it to be understood that the same may be modified from time to time as practice suggests. Therefore, the patent protection that I desire, is all of that which comes within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In an acetylene gas generator, a chamber adapted to receive the gas as generated, a diaphragm therein having mechanism con- Thus, it will be seen erated gas to one side of the said diaphragm,

and said valve having an attached rod;

means for admitting gas to the other side of v the diaphragm the said diaphragm adapted to actuate the said shaft to oscillate the said overbalancing mechanism, causing the lat ter to reciprocate the said rod to open and close the said valve decisively for the purpose setforth and as substantially described.

8.. In an acetylene gas generator, an equalizing valve comprising a movable diaphragm having valve mechanism connected thereto on one side including an auxiliary spring, and on the reverse side a counterspring, the valve side of the diaphragm operative by the generated gas pressure a ainst the pressure of said counter-spring, and the said auxiliary spring adapted to close the valvwhe; the said counter-pressure spring functions, due to gas consum d with consequent drop of gas pressure.

4. In an acetylene gas generator, a gover nor equalizing valve comprising a flexible diaphragm having adjustable compressionspring means on one side thereof, and on the other side valve means including a floating connection having a stop, said stop bearing the excess pressure of the said spring means unnecessary to the effective closing of the valve, the valve side of the diapl agm being operative by the pressure of the generated gas when in excess of the selectet pressure exerted by the said compression sprin In testimony whereof, I my si ;na-- ture.

PAUL L. GEER. 

